14 kick-ass alternative Christmas anthems

14th Dec 2010 | 09:44

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Prince - Another Lonely Christmas

The Prince of Christmas?

Christmas songs are like sprouts: you probably loathe them, but once a year you pile them on your plate as if Boxing Day was the Apocalypse. The 25 best Christmas songs of all time represent those croons, glam-rock party staples and snow-topped sing-alongs we all know and love (or hate). But what about the alternative mixtape? The indie bands, rappers and disco queens whose festive gems and genre-destroying cover versions are lost under a deluge of Frank Sinatra and Boney M?

Along with the best Christmas songs, we asked you to choose your favourite alternatives, and this is a gallery of the results. From headbanging carols to epic soundscapes, here are 15 kick-ass alternative Xmas anthems, as chosen by you. Here’s to a very ‘different’ Christmas. First up: Prince...

Rocking around the Christmas tree is all well and good, but not a patch on listening to a funky little chap from Minneapolis moaning about his girlfriend leaving him. That said, at one point he does mention that he’s got a bit of thing for her sister, so you can’t really blame the poor girl for walking out.

Listen:Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa

Clarence Carter’s track about “making all the little girls happy, while the boys are out to play”, “chasing the children home” and “giving them a few pennies so we could be alone” is still as refreshingly anti-Christmas as it was in 1968. Covered by the likes of Jet, The Black Crowes and Bon Jovi, if nothing else, it’s a soulful reminder to keep your doors locked throughout December.

Listen: Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa

Run-DMC - Christmas In Hollis

'Novelty' hip-hop is a near-impossible gig to pull off, but in 1987 Run-DMC could still rock the beats and the funnies. Christmas In Hollis is built around a sample of Clarence Carter's aforementioned Back Door Santa, and although it's (macaroni) cheesy as hell, it's all y'all need to make any old-skool yule rule. Word!

Your votes

Oceansize - Walking In The Air

As if the original, expansive soundtrack to flying through the winter sky holding the hand of an animated snow-sculpture wasn’t on a grand enough scale, Oceansize’s post-rock interpretation will blow your mind and melt your face. Equally bleak and oh so epic.

Listen: Oceansize - Walking In The Air

Your votes

“It's got to be Oceansize's version of Walking In The Air! It's really heavy." (Thanks, tentacle)

Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman

Between Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole’s crooned staples and The Ronettes, The Beach Boys and The Jackson 5’s soul-tinged efforts, there was only ever going to be one logical artistic direction for Frosty The Snowman: lush and atmospheric with iceberg-sized instrumentals. Released with Winter Wonderland on the Cocteau Twins’ 1990 Snow EP, which will now set you back a fair few quid on eBay.

Listen: Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman

Your votes

“The answer to both is the Cocteau’s rendition of Frosty The Snowman. So there!” (Thanks, lasermonkey)

“I'll second Lasermonkey's nomination of the Cocteau Twins’ Frosty The Snowman (and the Snow EP as a whole!). Liz Fraser and the boys lend their special Cocteau sparkle to a classic.” (Thanks, Estheroid)

Big Dee Irwin - Swinging On A Star

Big Dee Irwin at Pye recording studio, London, circa 1964

Swinging On A Star was originally another croon favourite of Bing and his ilk, but it’s the little-known one hit wonder Big Dee Irwin and partner Little Eva’s ice cool 1963 rendition that we’re celebrating here. With lyrics including “If you don’t go to school, you might grow up to be a mule,” it’s the equivalent of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town for the kids in the know.

Listen: Aimee Mann - One More Drifter In The Snow (album sampler)

Lemmy, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl - Run Rudolph Run

Lips?

The second cut from We Wish You A Metal Xmas… And A Headbanging New Year brings together a supergroup we’d actually like to see more from: Lemmy, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl. Now, we know Lemmy’s vocal is ‘throaty’ but this sounds like it was delivered during open neck surgery. Either that or Rudolph stole his lips.

Listen: Lemmy, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl - Run Rudolph Run

Low - Just Like Christmas

Any fans of American indie (or just indie, for that matter) with a penchant for slowcore and sleigh bells will be familiar with Low’s 2003 Christmas EP. On the whole, it somehow manages to avoid any novelty clichés while staying in line with the Duluth trio's trademark sound. Just Like Christmas in particular is a revelation of rollicking Spector-style production.

Listen: Low - Just Like Christmas

Your votes

James Brown - Santa Claus (Go Straight To The Ghetto)

Ah ha, The Godfather Of Soul. Or The Godfather Of Yule, as a quick glance though his prolific contribution to Christmas LPs might demand: James Brown Sings Christmas Songs; A Soulful Christmas; The Merry Christmas Album… we could go on. This funky request for Santa to skip the lucky in favour of the brothers in The Ghetto is a fitting tribute.

Listen: James Brown - Santa Claus (Go Straight To The Ghetto)

Your votes

Joey Ramone - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)

The Ramones’ original 1987 version of Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight) is suitably aggressive with a suitably galling accompanying video. However, late frontman Joey Ramone reworked the track for a solo release in 2001, slowing down the tempo and softening the edges to create the mini festive (anti) fighting anthem that we’re raising a glass to here. Cheers, here’s to peace, man.

Listen: Joey Ramone - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)

Donna Summer - Winter Melody

Winter Melody represents the festive period of Donna Summer’s 1976 five-track concept album Four Seasons Of Love (if you’re wondering what the fifth track/season is, it’s Spring Reprise). The song goes against the disco grain of the era, but the soulful melody does nothing to dampen the nostalgia and sentimentality of Christmas time.

Listen: Donna Summer - Winter Melody

Reuben - Christmas is Awesome

Reuben are (were) awesome, this song is awesome, the video is awesome and, yes, Christmas Is Awesome. Lyrical highlight (delivered with screaming hardcore panache): "And if I eat a sprout, you gotta eat a sprout, you gotta suffer too." Awesome.